The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-07-01
Berks County Crook

For some time past allegations have
been made charging the commissioners
and treasurer Of Borks county with
official dishonesty, and the matter was
recently brought before the grand
jury. The following dispatch from
Reading, dated June 2s gives the
present situation:
The people of Berks county and the
State will be surprised tomorrow morn
ing to learn that the bottom has about
dropped out of the grand jury investi-
cation which has been in progress here
the past few days. Unless positive
evidence showing criminality on the
part OF the County Commissioners aud
Treasurer is adduced tomorrow the
jury will prepare report merely Sc
verely censuring these officials for their
loose conduct of the financial affairs OF
the county. Thus far the only testi-
mony of weight against the commiss-
toner's is to the effect that John Il.
| Wagner, one of the board, did q por-
tion of the contract work on the Berne-
vile bridge. As yet the grand jury
has reached no conclusion in this case.
Contractor William Call, accompan-
led by an engineer from Kendall Bros.
Office, went to Berneville this afternoon
to measure the bridge and estimate its
cost at fair figures. Mr.. Call testified
today that the stonework on the
bridge could be done for $4,000. The
commissioners are said to have paid
$4,000.
Regarding the charge that County
Treasurer Holtzman received com.
mission from the Keystone National
Bank for the deposit of county funds
with that institution, Cashier Hall was
called and denied the truth of the state.
ment under oath. II. Willis Bland
who furnished the information, asked
to be excused from testifying, as he is
counsel for Geo. w. Kershner, one Of
the indicted tax collectors. J. How.
ard Jacobs, a director of the bank in
question, from whom Mr.. Bland claim
ed to have received his information,
was subpoened, but did not appear.
He is one of Treasurer Holtzman's
bondsmen.
Charles V. Dauth, another of the in.
dicted collectors, to-day entered bail in
1000 for trial.
Since the exposure of the collectors,
over $1S,5OO of the $4,000 withheld
has been turned into the treasury.
The members OF the grand jury, who
have been sitting at an expense to the
county of over $3.50 a day, and at
great personal inconvenience, are much
disheartened at the result of their in
quiry. They have examined large
number of witnesses presumed to be
familiar with the Courthouse ring and
supposed to have a knowledge of
alleged crooked transactions, but with
singular unanimity they have all, under
oath, plead ignoia ance. The grand jury
will therefore, to morrow, make last
desperate effort to fathom the alleged
corruption in the Commissioners Office
and, in case of failure, will adjourn
sine die. 1t is not at all probable, how.
ever, that the matter will be permitted
to rest here. The EUening Telegram,
Democrat, and Morning Herald, Inde.
pendent, both of which have been fear.
less in demanding the present inquiry,
will agitate another. There is a prop
osition to start an anti-corruptlon fund
with which to employ a Pinkerton
agent and competent attorney to
ferret out the alleged official crooked.
ness. Two Spring Township citizens
offered to head the list with $l0O each,
and the next grand jury may have even
more work to do than the present one